Category: BBC

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who spearheaded China’s entry into global trade and laid the foundation for its explosive growth, has died at the age of 97. He served in the country’s second-highest office from 1998-2003 and played a leading role in securing its entry into the World Trade Organization, opening Chinese factories to the international market and drawing foreign investment. He was one of the most important economic reformers who moved local tax powers to the central government, closed or privatised failing state firms and promoted home ownership. Many…

A Chinese rocket, the Long March 7A, failed and exploded on its 10 August launch in Wenchang, Hainan, China. State media reported that the failure occurred due to an “in-flight anomaly”. This was the rocket’s first failure since its maiden flight in March 2020, according to Reuters. BBC

Just months into the marriage, debt collectors started calling, alleging she owed them money. Wang grew suspicious and wanted to know what else she had kept hidden. He checked her phone and found details of her former life, her birth certificate and former marriage documents. When he confronted her, she offered him a divorce, but refused to return a single penny of the bride price. He says he tried to hunt down the agency responsible for his marriage, but when he returned to their offices, they had packed up and…

Local governments have urged people to avoid outdoor activities, while several top tourist attractions remain closed, including parts of Disneyland and Legoland, and several viewing platforms along the Bund in Shanghai. Footage on state media show ground-floor businesses flooded in the former French Concession in Shanghai – an area popular with tourists – and people walking through ankle-deep waters. Several state media outlets have reported that a nine-year-old boy from Wenling, Zhejiang is missing after being swept into the sea. Chinese officials have not reported any casualties. Parts of Zhejiang…

President William Lai took part in an emergency evacuation drill as part of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises that are running from August 5th to 14th. The BBC’s Katy Watson explains what happened and why Taiwan is using the drills to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion. BBC

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that imposes a 15% tariff on imported products made from polysilicon, a crucial material used in semiconductors and solar panels. The order also set minimum import prices on polysilicon and related products. It comes after a national security investigation into the production of the material overseas. The move is intended to help protect US manufacturers as they face increasing competition from China’s chip industry – a key source of friction between the world’s two largest economies. The Chinese embassy in…

As weather events become more extreme, fake videos are being shared rapidly online, and it’s causing real world problems in China. The government has vowed to crack down on misinformation, but as our China correspondent Stephen McDonell explains, identifying AI-generated content is becoming increasingly difficult. Video by Kellie Highet, with additional reporting from BBC Verify and Joyce Liu. BBC

The UK has struggled with weak productivity growth for more than a decade, and economists say wider adoption of robotics will be essential if businesses are to become more efficient. In its 2026 report SME Technology Adoption in the United Kingdom, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said technologies like robotics would be key to improving productivity. According to the OECD, Britain’s low adoption of robotics is “surprising” given its manufacturing heritage, noting that while UK firms have embraced mature digital technologies, they lag behind in robotics and…

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a ban on new foreign-made humanoid robot imports to the US over “unacceptable risks” to America’s national security. The move applies to advanced robots – including humanoid and four-legged machines. Many of them are made in China, which is competing with the US to develop robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also banned imports of power inverters – devices used in data centres and solar panels – which it said could also pose a risk to the US economy. The…

And this is not an isolated incident. In 2021, local officials were arrested, accused of concealing or underreporting 139 deaths in Henan province. Incidents like these have resulted in a trust vacuum that has made it much easier for bad actors to spread fake content. But police are imploring people to trust accredited sources during emergencies. “When encountering disaster-related information from an unknown source, approach it with scepticism and rely on official announcements,” Gao Kai from the Ningbo Public Security Bureau said. He also tried to reassure the public that…